Dynamic geofence based on members within

ABSTRACT

One example embodiment relates to a method that comprises receiving, via a first portable electronic device, contextual information and a geolocation relating to a first user in a network-based system; receiving, via second portable electronic device, contextual information and a geolocation relating to a second user in the network-based system; identifying a common element in the received contextual information relating to the first user, and the received contextual information relating to the second user; in response to an identification of the common element, defining a boundary for a geofence based on the geolocation of the first or second users, and redefining the boundary of the geofence to exclude at least one member from the population, the exclusion based on an identified change in geolocation or contextual information relating to the at least one excluded member.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/693,145, filed on Dec. 4, 2012, which application is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FILED

This application relates generally to data processing within anetwork-based system operating over a distributed network, and morespecifically to systems and methods for implementing a dynamic geofencebased on the geo-locations, identified attributes or desired populationsof members within the dynamic geofence.

BACKGROUND

The ever increasing use of smart phones, such as the iPhone® (fromApple, Inc. of Cupertino Calif.), with data connections and locationdetermination capabilities is slowly changing the way people interact,shop for products and services, and even manage accounts. Smart phonescan provide users with nearly instant information regarding a wide rangeof information, such as product availability, friend locations, orpricing. For example, applications such as RedLaser™ (from eBay, Inc. ofSan Jose, Calif.) allow a smart phone user to scan a bar code andinstantly check prices across online and local retail outlets. Smartphones also commonly include mechanisms, such as global positioningsystem (GPS) receivers, that allow the devices to constantly updatelocation information. These technology changes are also driving changesin the way groups of people interact and exchange information.

SUMMARY

In an example embodiment, a system comprises at least one module,executing on one or more computer processors, to receive, via a firstportable electronic device, contextual information and a geolocationrelating to a first user in a network-based system; receive, via secondportable electronic device, contextual information and a geolocationrelating to a second user in the network-based system; identify a commonelement in the received contextual information relating to the firstuser, and the received contextual information relating to the seconduser; and in response to an identification of the common element,defining a boundary for a geofence based on the geolocation of the firstor second users.

In another example embodiment, a machine readable medium, includesinstructions, which when performed by a machine, causes the machine toperform the operations of receiving, via a first portable electronicdevice, contextual information and a geolocation relating to a firstuser in a network-based system; receiving, via second portableelectronic device, contextual information and a geolocation relating toa second user in the network-based system; identifying a common elementin the received contextual information relating to the first user, andthe received contextual information relating to the second user; and inresponse to an identification of the common element, defining a boundaryfor a geofence based on the geolocation of the first or second users.

In an example embodiment, a system comprises at least one mobile stationdeployable into a geographic region of a network-based system, themobile station to facilitate definition of a boundary of a geofencesurrounding a population of member s connected to the network-basedsystem located within the geographic region; and at least one module,executing on one or more computer processors, to receive, via the atleast one mobile station, contextual information relating to a pluralityof member s of the population within the geographic region; identify acommon element in the received contextual information relating to atleast two members of the population as a basis for defining a firstboundary of the geofence to include the at least two members; and definethe first boundary of the geofence.

In another example embodiment, a machine readable medium, includesinstructions, which when performed by a machine, causes the machine toperform the operations of receiving, via one or more mobile stations,contextual information relating to a plurality of member s of thepopulation within a geographic region of a network-based system, the oneor more mobile stations deployable into the geographic region tofacilitate the definition of a boundary of a geofence surrounding apopulation of members connected to the network-based system locatedwithin the geographic region; identifying a common element in thereceived contextual information relating to at least two member s of thepopulation as a basis for defining a first boundary of the geofence toinclude the at least two members; and defining the first boundary of thegeofence.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation inthe figures of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting a system for creating a dynamicgeofence, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an environment for operating amobile device, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile device, according to anexample embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a network-based system forcreating a dynamic geofence and related services, according to exampleembodiments.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating geofence modules, according to anexample embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for enabling a dynamicgeofence according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for enabling a dynamicgeofence according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the example formof a computer system within which a set of instructions for causing themachine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed hereinmay be executed.

DEFINITIONS

Geolocation—For the purposes of this specification and the associatedclaims, the term “geolocation” is used to refer to a geographiclocation, such as a longitude/latitude combination or a street address,or a region defined by a ZIP code, for example. The term geolocation orlocation is also used within this specification and claims in referenceto a physical location, for example associated with a retail outlet(e.g., store), a movie theater location, or a dining house.

Real-time—For the purposes of this specification and the associatedclaims, the term “real-time” is used to refer to calculations oroperations performed on-the-fly as events occur or input is received bythe operable system. However, the use of the term “real-time” is notintended to preclude operations that cause some latency between inputand response, so long as the latency is an unintended consequenceinduced by the performance characteristics of the machine.

Contextual information—For the purposes of this specification and theassociated claims, the term “contextual information” is used to refer toenvironmental data, such as time and weather conditions, among others.The contextual information generally refers to conditions describing anindividual's (e.g., user, member of population etc.) environment and/oractivities. For example, contextual information can include a user'sdirection of movement, current activity (e.g., working, driving, playinggolf, shopping, attending a pop concert, lining up for show ticketsetc.), current weather conditions, time of day, and time of year (e.g.,season), among other things. In certain examples, contextual informationabout a user can also include past events, purchase history, or otherhistorical data about the user. In other examples, contextualinformation can include demographic information about an individual(e.g. income level, gender, ethnicity, and so forth).

Common element—For the purposes of this specification and the associatedclaims, a “common element” identified in contextual information relatingto respective users means each set of user information includes thatcommon element. The element is common to the user sets. Examples ofcommon elements are given below.

Mobile station—includes a human person, a device, a vehicle or aconveyance carrying or operating a portable electronic device incommunication with a network-based system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some example embodiments of systems and methods for implementing adynamic geofence are described herein. The systems and methods may servein some examples to improve the experience of operators of electronicmarketplaces or marketing operations in offering goods or services todefined or targeted populations of users on a dynamic basis. In otherexamples, implementation of a geofence may be akin to a person-to-person(P2P) situation in which, for example, three people (or mobile stations)fall within a certain distance from each other within a general regionand are able to then create a dynamic geofence in which anyone insidethe geofence can receive offers. As people leave or enter the region,the geofence can be redefined accordingly. In some examples, people withsimilar characteristics can receive offers. The characteristics wouldform part of contextual information relating to those people, as definedabove. Additional people who might fit the criteria can become anadditional link in the geofence and affect its shape.

A definition of a “common element” is provided above. In some examples,the common element may be specific in nature, such as for example aspecific performance of a Batman movie being shown at a particular timeat a particular location, or may relate to an annual income levelgreater than a defined number. In other words, if for example two usersconnected to a network are both attending a Batman movie being shown ata particular time at a particular location, then contextual informationrelating to those two members would contain the “common element” of thatperformance of the Batman movie. The contextual information and/orgeo-location data may be received automatically from portable electronicdevices operated by the users (in our example, two people, but othernumbers are possible, including many thousands of people, or more), ormay be received from portable electronic devices operated by other usersobserving the two users and manually transmitting contextual informationand/or a geolocation relating to the two users. In this example, theother users would fall within the definition of “mobile stations” setout above. In some examples, the common element may be more general innature and relate, for example, to a general number of Bruce Springsteenconcerts performed during a holiday season without being limited toparticular times or locations. A common element in respective sets ofcontextual information relating to users making reservations for suchconcerts might generally be “Bruce Springsteen”.

A common element may in some examples have relative degrees ofsimilarity. For example, the common element may lie within a definedrange of contextual information relating to users. In a shopping mallattended by users making purchases of goods, a range of leather jacketcolors might include for example “red” as being relatively similar to“pink” and thus a common element of red or pink hues would be present ina defined range of colors within a set of contextual informationrelating to users purchasing leather jackets. In another example, BruceSpringsteen may be said to be similar to David Bowie in that both areperformers of rock music even though the two are different persons. Thusa “rock music performer” might be an element common to sets ofcontextual information relating to attendees at Springsteen and Bowierock concerts, for example.

A common element may thus be defined or identified in many differentways. A common element may be defined or identified manually, forexample by a human person observing attendees lining up to attend a rockconcert, or the common element may be identified or definedelectronically through the electronic comparison of contextualinformation, for example.

In some situations, the seller of a good or service might want to limitthe numbers of on-line offers made to potential customers within aregion. A geofence can be implemented according to the present subjectmatter within the region to include a defined population of members eachreceiving an offer. The geofence can be defined dynamically to include adecreased geographic size or population of members so as to limit theexposure of the offer, or in other situations increase the number ofmembers receiving the offer. In some examples, a seller or marketer maywant very extensive exposure for the offer but only in situations wherethere is significant density of people the seller or marketer is tryingto reach. The present disclosure allows the geofence to be created andgrow as more people with desired target characteristics enter thegeofence. In some forms, the geofence may be said to exhibit “viral”characteristics.

In some examples, a seller of goods may wish to extend a promotionaloffer to a limited population of persons attending a Bruce Springsteenconcert at a particular location, for example. Many of the attendees maybe users connected to a network based system using portable electronicdevices, such as smartphones or iPhones for example. Contextualinformation and/or a geolocation may be received, via the connecteddevices on the network, relating to one or more of the attendees. Thereceived contextual information may include a common element, such asattendance at the Springsteen concert at that particular location. Othercommon elements are possible. A boundary of a geofence may then bedefined based on identification of the common element or a geolocationof one of the attendees. The contextual information may be received viaa portable electronic device from an observer or a connected user thatmight not necessarily be attending the concert. The observer may placehimself or herself in or adjacent the crowd of concert attendees andcommunicate with the network to transmit a geolocation or observedcontextual information. In some examples, an army of observers may bedeployed within a geographic region for the purposes of transmittinggeolocations or contextual information relating to members of a targetedpopulation to be included within a geofence.

In some examples, the geofence may be defined based on movement of thepopulation or movement of the deployed members, for example. In someexamples, common elements in the received contextual information may beidentified and/or monitored (on a continuous or periodic basis) toidentify changes and the boundary of the geofence may be dynamicallyredefined accordingly.

Geofences can be used on a location-aware mobile device to detect when auser of the mobile device enters a specific location, such as a specificretail store. Geofences can be defined in terms of Global PositioningSystem (GPS) coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude) combined with aradius measured in meters or feet, for example. Alternatively, geofencescan also be defined according a series of GPS coordinates defining abounding box. In yet other examples, a geofence can be any geometricshape defined by a mathematical formula and anchored by a GPScoordinate.

Mobile devices, such as an iPhone (from Apple, Inc. of Cupertino,Calif.) can monitor a number of geofences at a given time. Additionally,applications running on a mobile device commonly can update monitoredgeofences when the application is opened by a user (or at least activein memory on the mobile device). A concept of geofence paging has alsobeen developed. Geofence paging can provide a benefit of limiting theamount of memory required within a mobile device for monitoring andmaintaining geofences. In some examples, a plurality of geofences may bereferred to as a page of geofences, with a large (parent) geofencedescribing the boundaries of the page and smaller (child) geofenceslocated within the page. In an example, the mobile device moves outsideof the parent geofence, the mobile device can load a new parent geofenceand a plurality of child geofences associated with the parent geofence.In another example, the various parent and child geofences can be storedon the mobile device and only loaded into active memory as they areneeded, based on the current location of the mobile device.

Example System

FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting a system 100 for enabling dynamicgeofencing on a mobile device, according to an example embodiment. In anexample, system 100 can include users 110A-110N (collectively referredto as either user 110 or users 110 depending upon context) and anetwork-based publication system 120. In an example, the users 110A-110Ncan connect to the network-based publication system 120 via mobiledevices 115A-115N (collectively referred to as mobile device 115). Users110A-110N can also connect to the network-based publication system 120via clients 140A-140N (collectively referred to as client 140 or clients140).

One or more of the users 110A-110N may wish to monitor or create adynamic geofence. In an example, the users 110 can configure an accounton the network-based publication system 120. The account can be accessedby each user, such as user 110A, using mobile device 115A or client140A, if user 110A meets the specified access criteria or rules. In anexample, the access rules can include user identification and locationidentification rules (e.g., user must be located within a locationsupported by the network-based publication system 120). A user accounton the network-based publication system 120 can allow the user to definespecific geolocations or contextual information of interest for creatingand monitoring a dynamic geofence. Based on geofence-creation criteriareceived from user 110A, geofences can be created based on contextualinformation received from and relating to other users 110B-110N.

In some examples, the network-based publication system 120 can receivecontextual information from the users 110A-110N and create a dynamicgeofence accordingly. In some examples, the network-based publicationsystem 120 can monitor such received contextual information and redefinea boundary of the geofence based on changes in geo-locations orcontextual information relating to the users located within the geofenceor a region defined by user 110A. In certain examples, the network-basedpublication system 120 can be used by merchants for advertising andpromotion based on contextual information received from a population ofusers located within a defined region. In some examples, populationmembers can be added to or removed from the geofence based on changes ingeo-locations or contextual information relating to the users locatedwithin the geofence or a region defined by user 110A.

In some examples, the network-based publication system 120 can be usedby merchants for location-based advertising platforms, where users, suchas users 110, opt-in to location-based advertisements. For example, BestBuy (of Minneapolis, Minn.) may use the network-based publication system120 to provide location-based (or context based) advertising to users110 via mobile devices 115. Best Buy may in one example deploy a numberof users (mobile stations) into a geographic region to observe defineduser behavior and transmit to Best Buy (or the network-based publicationsystem 120) associated contextual information on which the boundaries ofa dynamic geofence can be based. In one example, a series of geofencesmay be generated each encompassing a manageable number of geographicallyrelated Best Buy store locations. Each of the Best Buy store locationswould be covered by a much smaller child geofence that enables thenetwork-based publication system 120 to serve location-based (orcontext-based) advertising relevant to the specific Best Buy store onlywith of the users 110 is in geographic proximity to the Best Buy store(based on the mobile device 115 detecting a location within one of themonitored child geofences). In another example, a location-aware smartphone application running on the mobile device 115 can triggerpre-defined tasks based on detecting presence within a child geofence.

Example Operating Environment

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an environment 200 for operatinga mobile device 115, according to an example embodiment. The environment200 is an example environment within which methods for using dynamicgeofences can be implemented. The environment 200 can include a mobiledevice 115, a communication connection 210, a network 220, servers 230,a communication satellite 270, a merchant server 280, and a database290. The servers 230 can optionally include location based serviceapplication 240, location determination application 250, contextualinformation definition and determination application 255, publicationapplication 260, and geofence paging application 270. The database 290can optionally include geofence pages 292, user profiles 294, contextualinformation profiles 295, and/or location history 296. The mobile device115 represents one example device that can be utilized by a user tomonitor an unlimited number of contextual information or locations viadynamic geofencing. The mobile device 115 may be any of a variety oftypes of devices (for example, a cellular telephone, a PDA, a PersonalNavigation Device (PND), a handheld computer, a tablet computer, anotebook computer, or other type of movable device). The mobile device115 may interface via a connection 210 with a communication network 220.Depending on the form of the mobile device 115, any of a variety oftypes of connections 210 and communication networks 220 may be used.

For example, the connection 210 may be Code Division Multiple Access(CDMA) connection, a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM)connection, or other type of cellular connection. Such connection 210may implement any of a variety of types of data transfer technology,such as Single Carrier Radio Transmission Technology (1×RTT),Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO) technology, General Packet Radio Service(GPRS) technology, Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE)technology, or other data transfer technology (e.g., fourth generationwireless, 4G networks). When such technology is employed, thecommunication network 220 may include a cellular network that has aplurality of cell sites of overlapping geographic coverage,interconnected by cellular telephone exchanges. These cellular telephoneexchanges may be coupled to a network backbone (for example, the publicswitched telephone network (PSTN), a packet-switched data network, orother types of networks).

In another example, the connection 210 may be Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi,IEEE 802.11x type) connection, a Worldwide Interoperability forMicrowave Access (WiMAX) connection, or another type of wireless dataconnection. In such an embodiment, the communication network 220 mayinclude one or more wireless access points coupled to a local areanetwork (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, or otherpacket-switched data network.

In yet another example, the connection 210 may be a wired connection,for example an Ethernet link, and the communication network may be aLAN, a WAN, the Internet, or other packet-switched data network.Accordingly, a variety of different configurations are expresslycontemplated.

A plurality of servers 230 may be coupled via interfaces to thecommunication network 220, for example, via wired or wirelessinterfaces. These servers 230 may be configured to provide various typesof services to the mobile device 115. For example, one or more serversmay execute contextual information service applications allowing receiptand transmission of contextual information between users (mobile device115) and/or the merchant server 280 for the purpose of creating dynamicgeofences. The execution of such contextual information services may besimilar to the execution of location based services (LBS) as follows. Infurther examples, one or more servers 230 may execute LBS applications240, which interoperate with software executing on the mobile device115, to provide LBSs to a user. LBSs can use knowledge of the device'slocation, and/or the location of other devices, to providelocation-specific information, recommendations, notifications,interactive capabilities, and/or other functionality to a user. Forexample, an LBS application 240 can provide location data to anetwork-based publication system 120, which can then be used to provideaccess to a group account on the network-based publication system 120.Knowledge of the device's location, and/or the location of otherdevices, may be obtained through interoperation of the mobile device 115with a location determination application 250 executing on one or moreof the servers 230. Location information may also be provided by themobile device 115, without use of a location determination application,such as application 250. In certain examples, the mobile device 115 mayhave some limited location determination capabilities that are augmentedby the location determination application 250. In some examples, theservers 230 can also include publication application 260 for providinglocation-aware publication of data such as advertisements or offers. Incertain examples, location data can be provided to the publicationapplication 260 by the location determination application 250. In someexamples, the location data provided by the location determinationapplication 250 can include merchant information (e.g., identificationof a retail location). In certain examples, the location determinationapplication 250 can receive signals via the network 220 to furtheridentify a location. For example, a merchant may broadcast a specificIEEE 802.11 service set identifier (SSID) that can be interpreted by thelocation determination application 250 to identify a particular retaillocation. In another example, the merchant may broadcast anidentification signal via radio-frequency identification (RFID),near-field communication (NFC), or a similar protocol that can be usedby the location determination application 250. In addition to examplesusing these various mechanisms to identify a particular location, thesemechanisms (e.g., SSIDs, RFIDs, NFC, and so forth) can be used assecondary authentication factors, which are discussed in more detailbelow.

In certain examples, the geofence paging application 270 can leveragethe LBS application 240, or the location determination application 250,or the contextual information definition and determination application255 to assist in determining which page of geofences to transmit to themobile device 115.

Example Mobile Device

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the mobile device 115, accordingto an example embodiment. The mobile device 115 may include a processor310. The processor 310 may be any of a variety of different types ofcommercially available processors suitable for mobile devices (forexample, an XScale architecture microprocessor, a Microprocessor withoutInterlocked Pipeline Stages (MIPS) architecture processor, or anothertype of processor). A memory 320, such as a Random Access Memory (RAM),a Flash memory, or other type of memory, is typically accessible to theprocessor. The memory 320 may be adapted to store an operating system(OS) 330, as well as application programs 340, such as a mobile locationenabled application that may provide LBSs to a user. In certainexamples, the application programs 340 can include instructions toimplement dynamic geofencing, by retrieving and monitoring contextualinformation, as necessary based on location information. The processor310 may be coupled, either directly or via appropriate intermediaryhardware, to a display 350 and to one or more input/output (I/O) devices360, such as a keypad, a touch panel sensor, a microphone, and the like.Similarly, in some embodiments, the processor 310 may be coupled to atransceiver 370 that interfaces with an antenna 390. The transceiver 370may be configured to both transmit and receive cellular network signals,wireless data signals, or other types of signals via the antenna 390,depending on the nature of the mobile device 115. In this manner, theconnection 210 with the communication network 220 may be established.Further, in some configurations, a GPS receiver 380 may also make use ofthe antenna 390 to receive GPS signals.

Additional detail regarding providing and receiving location-basedservices can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,848,765, titled “Location-BasedServices,” granted to Phillips et al. and assigned to Where, Inc. ofBoston, Mass., which is hereby incorporated by reference.

An example geo-location concept discussed within U.S. Pat. No. 7,848,765is a geofence. A geofence can be defined as a perimeter or boundaryaround a physical location or mobile object (e.g., a user). A geofencecan be as simple as a radius around a physical location defining acircular region around the location. However, a geofence can be anygeometric shape or an arbitrary boundary drawn on a map. A geofence canbe used to determine a geographical area of interest for the calculationof demographics, advertising, or similar purposes. Geofences can be usedin conjunction with the offer generation and delivery concepts discussedherein. For example, a geofence can be created based on whether a user(or mobile device associated with the user) is within a geographic areaof interest (e.g., target location) to providing access to a groupaccount. In some examples, a geofence can be created based on whetherone or more users (or mobile devices associated with the one or moreusers) has, or is observed to have, characteristics corresponding to adefined common element in contextual information received from andrelating to the one or more users. In some examples, if the user iswithin a geofence established by provisioning of a group account, thesystems discussed herein can use that information to authorize the userto access the group account, such as authorizing the user to process apayment against a group payment account.

Example Platform Architecture

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a network-based system 400 withinwhich dynamic geofencing can operate, according to an exampleembodiment. The block diagram depicts a network-based system 400 (in theexemplary form of a client-server system), within which an exampleembodiment can be deployed. A networked system 402 is shown, in theexample form of a network-based location-aware publication or paymentsystem, that provides server-side functionality, via a network 404(e.g., the Internet or WAN) to one or more client machines 410, 412.FIG. 4 illustrates, for example, a web client 406 (e.g., a browser, suchas the Internet Explorer browser developed by Microsoft Corporation ofRedmond, Wash. State) and a programmatic client 408 (e.g., PAYPALpayments smart phone application from PayPal, Inc. of San Jose Calif.)executing on respective client machines 410 and 412. In an example, theclient machines 410 and 412 can be in the form of a mobile device, suchas mobile device 115. In yet another example, the programmatic client408 can be the RedLaser mobile shopping application from eBay, Inc. ofSan Jose, Calif.

An Application Programming Interface (API) server 414 and a web server416 are coupled to, and provide programmatic and web interfacesrespectively to, one or more application servers 418. The applicationservers 418 host one or more publication modules 420 (in certainexamples, these can also include commerce modules, advertising modules,and marketplace modules, to name a few), payment modules 422, andgeofence modules 432. The application servers 418 are, in turn, shown tobe coupled to one or more database servers 424 that facilitate access toone or more databases 426. In some examples, the application server 418can access the databases 426 directly without the need for a databaseserver 424.

The publication modules 420 may provide a number of publicationfunctions and services to users that access the networked system 402.The payment modules 422 may likewise provide a number of paymentservices and functions to users. The payment modules 422 may allow usersto accumulate value (e.g., in a commercial currency, such as the U.S.dollar, or a proprietary currency, such as “points”) in accounts, andthen later to redeem the accumulated value for products (e.g., goods orservices) that are advertised or made available via the variouspublication modules 420, within retail locations, or within externalonline retail venues. The payment modules 422 can also be configured tofacilitate payment processing based on geofence detection and work inconjunction with the geofence modules 432. The geofence modules 432 mayprovide generation of parent and child geofences, among other things.The boundaries of geofences may be based on common elements identifiedin contextual information received via mobile devices 115 and relatingto users 110A-110N. While the publication modules 420, payment modules422, and geofence modules 432 are shown in FIG. 4 to all form part ofthe networked system 402, it will be appreciated that, in alternativeembodiments, the payment modules 422 may form part of a payment servicethat is separate and distinct from the networked system 402.

Further, while the system 400 shown in FIG. 4 employs a client-serverarchitecture, the present invention is of course not limited to such anarchitecture, and could equally well find application in a distributed,or peer-to-peer, architecture system, for example. The variouspublication modules 420, payment modules 422, and geofence modules 432could also be implemented as standalone systems or software programs,which do not necessarily have networking capabilities.

The web client 406 accesses the various publication modules 420, paymentmodules 422, and geofence modules 432 via the web interface supported bythe web server 416. Similarly, the programmatic client 408 accesses thevarious services and functions provided by the publication modules 420,payment modules 422, and geofence modules 432 via the programmaticinterface provided by the API server 414. The programmatic client 408may, for example, be a smart phone application (e.g., the PAYPALpayments application) that enables users to process payments directlyfrom their smart phones leveraging user profile data and currentlocation information provided by the smart phone or accessed over thenetwork 404.

FIG. 4 also illustrates a third party application 428, executing on athird party server machine 440, as having programmatic access to thenetworked system 402 via the programmatic interface provided by the APIserver 414. For example, the third party application 428 may, utilizinginformation retrieved from the networked system 402, support one or morefeatures or functions on a website hosted by the third party. The thirdparty website may, for example, provide one or more promotional,marketplace or payment functions that are supported by the relevantapplications of the networked system 402. Additionally, the third partywebsite may provide merchants with access to the geofence modules 432for advertising or marketing purposes.

Example Geofence Modules

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating geofence modules 432, accordingto an example embodiment. In this example, the geofence modules 432 caninclude a rules engine 505, a communication module 510, a generationmodule 520, an account module 530, and a location module 540. In anexample, the geofence paging modules 432 can access database 426 tostore and/or retrieve generation rules, user profile data, contextualinformation data or profiles (including common element profiles),location data, and geofences (parent and child), as well as otherinformation, to enable dynamic geofencing.

In an example, the rules engine 505 can be configured to manage andevaluate rules controlling contextual information and common elementsidentified or defined therein.

In an example, the communication module 510 can be configured to managecommunications between the geofence modules 432 and a user, where theuser is communicating via the mobile device 115 or the client 140. Thecommunication module 510 can also be configured to manage communicationsbetween the geofence modules 432 and a merchant, such as paymentrecipient 130 communicating via the payment recipient system 132.

In an example, the generation module 520 is configured to generateparent and child geofences according to information provided by modules,such as the account module 530, the location module 540 and the rulesengine 505.

In an example, the account module 530 is configured to provision (setup)and manage a user account on the networked system 402. In certainexamples, the account module 530 can provision a user account accordingto configuration data received by the communication module 510. Theaccount module 530 can also work in conjunction with the rules engine505 in provisioning or decommissioning user accounts.

In an example, the location module 540 is configured to receive locationdata from a mobile device, such as mobile device 115, and determine fromthe location data a current physical location, which may includereference to landmarks or other sites of interest. In some examples, thelocation module 540 can receive GPS-type coordinates (e.g., longitudeand latitude), which can be used to establish a current locationassociated with a mobile device (and, thus, a user of the mobiledevice). Using the longitude and latitude coordinates, the locationmodule 540 can determine if the current location is within the currentparent geofence, for example. In certain examples, the location module540 can receive other location determining information from a mobiledevice, such as a photograph or scan of data only readily available at acertain physical location (generally referred to as secondary locationauthentication factor). In another example, some merchants may broadcastspecific wireless network signals that can be received by a mobiledevice, such as mobile device 115. Once received, the mobile device 115can include programming or circuitry to translate the signal into aspecific location, or the mobile device 115 can simply retransmit theunique signal to the location module 540. In an example, a merchantlocation can transmit a unique SSID, which the location module can beprogrammed to interpret as identifying a specific merchant location. Inanother example, the merchant may broadcast a unique SSID within all ofits locations and the location module 540 can be programmed to use acombination of the unique SSID and other location data (e.g., GPScoordinates or cell tower locations) to identify a specific location

Additional details regarding the functionality provided by the systemsand modules described herein are detailed below in reference to FIGS.6-7.

Example Methods

FIGS. 6-7 illustrate example methods for enabling dynamic geofencing.Some portions of the methods may be performed by processing logic thatmay comprise hardware (e.g., dedicated logic, programmable logic,microcode, etc.), software (such as that which may be run on ageneral-purpose computer system or a dedicated machine), or acombination of both.

In one example embodiment, the processing logic resides at the geofencemodule 432, illustrated in FIG. 4. Some portions of the methods may beperformed by the various example modules discussed above with referenceto FIG. 4. Each of these modules may comprise processing logic.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method 600 for enabling dynamicgeofencing, according to an example embodiment. The method may beimplemented, at least in part, on a mobile device 115 (also termed aportable electronic device in this specification). In an example, themethod 600 can include: at 602, receiving, via a first portableelectronic device, contextual information and a geolocation relating toa first user in a network-based system; at 604, receiving, via a secondportable electronic device, contextual information and a geolocationrelating to a second user in the network-based system; at 606,identifying a common element in the received contextual informationrelating to the first user, and the received contextual informationrelating to the second user; and at 608, in response to anidentification of the common element, defining a boundary for a geofencebased on the geolocation of the first or second users.

In some examples, the common element is a predetermined common element.In some examples, the common element is identified upon a comparison ofthe first and second contextual information. The method 600 may furthercomprise monitoring an aspect of the common element included in thereceived first or second contextual information and adjusting theboundary of the geofence based on a change in the aspect. In someexamples, the method further comprises monitoring the geolocation of thefirst or second user and adjusting the boundary of the geofence based ona change in the geolocation.

In some examples, the method 600 further comprises identifying apopulation size of members connected to the network-based system to beincluded within the defined geofence, the population size based on anidentification of the common element in received contextual informationrelating to at least one member of the population and the receivedcontextual information relating to the first or second user. The firstand second users may be included in the population. The boundary of thegeofence may be defined in some examples based on a geolocation of theat least one member. In some examples, the method 600 further comprisesmonitoring the contextual information relating to the first or seconduser or the at least one member, and redefining the boundary of thegeofence based on a change in the contextual information or a desiredpopulation size to be included with the geofence.

The method 600 may further comprise redefining the boundary of thegeofence based on a change in the geolocation or the contextualinformation relating to at least one member of the population, or to thefirst or second user. In some examples, the method 600 may furthercomprise redefining the boundary of the geofence to exclude at least onemember from the population, the exclusion based on an identified changein geolocation or contextual information relating to the at least oneexcluded member. In some examples, the method 600 may further compriseredefining the boundary of the geofence to include at least one newmember in the population, the inclusion based on a geolocation of the atleast one new member, or an identification of a common element inreceived contextual information relating to the at least one new memberand the contextual information relating to at least one other member ofthe population.

The method 600 may further comprise monitoring the contextualinformation or geolocation relating to the first or second user, anddynamically redefining the boundaries of the geofence based on movementof the first or second user within a geographic region of thenetworked-based system, or an identified change in the contextualinformation relating to the first or second user. In some examples, themethod 600 further comprise defining a boundary for the geofence basedon a predetermined distance between the respective geolocations of thefirst and second user.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method 700 for dynamic geofencing,according to an example embodiment. The method may be implemented, atleast in part, on a mobile device 115 (also termed a portable electronicdevice in this specification). In an example, the method 700 caninclude: at 702, deploying one or more mobile stations into a geographicregion of a network-based system, the mobile stations to facilitatedefinition of a boundary of a geofence surrounding a population ofmembers connected to the network-based system located within thegeographic region; at 704, receiving, via the one or more mobilestations, contextual information relating to a plurality of members ofthe population within the geographic region; at 706, identifying acommon element in the received contextual information relating to atleast two members of the population as a basis for defining a firstboundary of the geofence to include the at least two members; and at708, defining the first boundary of the geofence.

In some examples, defining the first boundary of the geofence is furtherbased on a geolocation of at least one of the member of the population.In some examples, defining the first boundary of the geofence is furtherbased on a geolocation of at least one mobile station. In some examples,redefining the boundary of the geofence is based on a desired number ofmembers of the population to be included with the geofence.

The method 700 may further comprise defining a second boundary of thegeofence based on a change in geolocation of at least one member of thepopulation, or of the one or more mobile stations. The method 700 mayfurther comprise defining a second boundary of the geofence based on achange in received contextual information relating to at least onemember of the population. In some examples, the method 700 may furthercomprise redefining the boundary of the geofence to exclude at least onemember from the population, based on an identified change in geolocationor received contextual information of the at least one excluded member.In some examples, the method 700 further comprises redefining theboundary of the geofence to include at least one new member to thepopulation, the inclusion based on a geolocation of the at least one newmember, or an identification of a common element in received contextualinformation relating to the at least one new member and the contextualinformation relating to at least one other member of the population. Insome examples, the one or more deployed mobile stations are incommunication with each other.

Modules, Components and Logic

Certain embodiments are described herein as including logic or a numberof components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules may constitute eithersoftware modules (e.g., code embodied on a machine-readable medium or ina transmission signal) or hardware modules. A hardware module is atangible unit capable of performing certain operations and may beconfigured or arranged in a certain manner. In example embodiments, oneor more computer systems (e.g., a standalone, client or server computersystem) or one or more hardware modules of a computer system (e.g., aprocessor or a group of processors) may be configured by software (e.g.,an application or application portion) as a hardware module thatoperates to perform certain operations as described herein.

In various embodiments, a hardware module may be implementedmechanically or electronically. For example, a hardware module maycomprise dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured(e.g., as a special-purpose processor, such as a field programmable gatearray (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) toperform certain operations. A hardware module may also compriseprogrammable logic or circuitry (e.g., as encompassed within ageneral-purpose processor or other programmable processor) that istemporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. Itwill be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware modulemechanically, in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry, or intemporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may bedriven by cost and time considerations.

Accordingly, the term “hardware module” should be understood toencompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physicallyconstructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired) or temporarilyconfigured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner and/or toperform certain operations described herein. Considering embodiments inwhich hardware modules are temporarily configured (e.g., programmed),each of the hardware modules need not be configured or instantiated atany one instance in time. For example, where the hardware modulescomprise a general-purpose processor configured using software, thegeneral-purpose processor may be configured as respective differenthardware modules at different times. Software may accordingly configurea processor, for example, to constitute a particular hardware module atone instance of time and to constitute a different hardware module at adifferent instance of time.

Hardware modules can provide information to, and receive informationfrom, other hardware modules. Accordingly, the described hardwaremodules may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Where multipleof such hardware modules exist contemporaneously, communications may beachieved through signal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuitsand buses) that connect the hardware modules. In embodiments in whichmultiple hardware modules are configured or instantiated at differenttimes, communications between such hardware modules may be achieved, forexample, through the storage and retrieval of information in memorystructures to which the multiple hardware modules have access. Forexample, one hardware module may perform an operation and store theoutput of that operation in a memory device to which it iscommunicatively coupled. A further hardware module may then, at a latertime, access the memory device to retrieve and process the storedoutput. Hardware modules may also initiate communications with input oroutput devices, and can operate on a resource (e.g., a collection ofinformation).

The various operations of example methods described herein may beperformed, at least partially, by one or more processors that aretemporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured toperform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanentlyconfigured, such processors may constitute processor-implemented modulesthat operate to perform one or more operations or functions. The modulesreferred to herein may, in some example embodiments, compriseprocessor-implemented modules.

Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least partiallyprocessor-implemented. For example, at least some of the operations of amethod may be performed by one or processors or processor-implementedmodules. The performance of certain of the operations may be distributedamong the one or more processors, not only residing within a singlemachine, but deployed across a number of machines. In some exampleembodiments, the processor or processors may be located in a singlelocation (e.g., within a home environment, an office environment or as aserver farm), while in other embodiments the processors may bedistributed across a number of locations.

The one or more processors may also operate to support performance ofthe relevant operations in a “cloud computing” environment or as a“software as a service” (SaaS). For example, at least some of theoperations may be performed by a group of computers (as examples ofmachines including processors), with these operations being accessiblevia a network (e.g., the Internet) and via one or more appropriateinterfaces (e.g., APIs).

Electronic Apparatus and System

Example embodiments may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry,or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations of them.Example embodiments may be implemented using a computer program product,for example, a computer program tangibly embodied in an informationcarrier, for example, in a machine-readable medium for execution by, orto control the operation of, data processing apparatus, for example, aprogrammable processor, a computer, or multiple computers.

A computer program can be written in any form of programming language,including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed inany form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, subroutine,or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computerprogram can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiplecomputers at one site or distributed across multiple sites andinterconnected by a communication network.

In example embodiments, operations may be performed by one or moreprogrammable processors executing a computer program to performfunctions by operating on input data and generating output. Methodoperations can also be performed by, and apparatus of exampleembodiments may be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry(e.g., a FPGA or an ASIC).

The computing system can include clients and servers. A client andserver are generally remote from each other and typically interactthrough a communication network. The relationship of client and serverarises by virtue of computer programs running on the respectivecomputers and having a client-server relationship to each other. Inembodiments deploying a programmable computing system, it will beappreciated that both hardware and software architectures requireconsideration. Specifically, it will be appreciated that the choice ofwhether to implement certain functionality in permanently configuredhardware (e.g., an ASIC), in temporarily configured hardware (e.g., acombination of software and a programmable processor), or a combinationof permanently and temporarily configured hardware may be a designchoice. Below are set out hardware (e.g., machine) and softwarearchitectures that may be deployed, in various example embodiments.

Example Machine Architecture and Machine-Readable Medium

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of machine in the example form of a computersystem 900 within which instructions, for causing the machine to performany one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, may be executed.In alternative embodiments, the machine operates as a standalone deviceor may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networkeddeployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or aclient machine in server-client network environment, or as a peermachine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. Themachine may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box(STB), a PDA, a cellular telephone, a web appliance, a network router,switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions(sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by thatmachine. Further, while only a single machine is illustrated, the term“machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines thatindividually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructionsto perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The example computer system 800 includes a processor 802 (e.g., acentral processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU) orboth), a main memory 804 and a static memory 806, which communicate witheach other via a bus 808. The computer system 800 may further include avideo display unit 810 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or acathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 800 also includes analphanumeric input device 812 (e.g., a keyboard), a user interface (UI)navigation device 814 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 816, a signalgeneration device 818 (e.g., a speaker) and a network interface device820.

Machine-Readable Medium

The disk drive unit 816 includes a machine-readable medium 822 on whichis stored one or more sets of instructions and data structures (e.g.,software) 824 embodying or used by any one or more of the methodologiesor functions described herein. The instructions 824 may also reside,completely or at least partially, within the main memory 804, staticmemory 806, and/or within the processor 802 during execution thereof bythe computer system 800, the main memory 804 and the processor 802 alsoconstituting machine-readable media.

While the machine-readable medium 822 is shown in an example embodimentto be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” may include asingle medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributeddatabase, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one ormore instructions or data structures. The term “machine-readable medium”shall also be taken to include any tangible medium that is capable ofstoring, encoding or carrying instructions for execution by the machineand that cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies of the present invention, or that is capable of storing,encoding or carrying data structures used by or associated with suchinstructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly betaken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, andoptical and magnetic media. Specific examples of machine-readable mediainclude non-volatile memory, including by way of example, semiconductormemory devices (e.g., Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM),Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM)) and flashmemory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removabledisks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

Transmission Medium

The instructions 824 may further be transmitted or received over acommunications network 826 using a transmission medium. The instructions824 may be transmitted using the network interface device 820 and anyone of a number of well-known transfer protocols (e.g., HTTP). Examplesof communication networks include a LAN, a WAN, the Internet, mobiletelephone networks, Plain Old Telephone (POTS) networks, and wirelessdata networks (e.g., Wi-Fi and WiMax networks). The term “transmissionmedium” shall be taken to include any intangible medium that is capableof storing, encoding or carrying instructions for execution by themachine, and includes digital or analog communications signals or otherintangible media to facilitate communication of such software.

Non-Limiting Embodiments

Although the present invention has been described with reference tospecific example embodiments, it will be evident that variousmodifications and changes may be made to these embodiments withoutdeparting from the broader spirit and scope of the invention.Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Although an embodiment has been described with reference to specificexample embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications andchanges may be made to these embodiments without departing from thebroader spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, thespecification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative ratherthan a restrictive sense. The accompanying drawings that form a parthereof, show by way of illustration, and not of limitation, specificembodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. Theembodiments illustrated are described in sufficient detail to enablethose skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed herein.Other embodiments may be used and derived therefrom, such thatstructural and logical substitutions and changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of this disclosure. This Detailed Description,therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope ofvarious embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along withthe full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred toherein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merelyfor convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope ofthis application to any single invention or inventive concept if morethan one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments havebeen illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that anyarrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substitutedfor the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to coverany and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in theart upon reviewing the above description.

All publications, patents, and patent documents referred to in thisdocument are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, asthough individually incorporated by reference. In the event ofinconsistent usages between this document and those documents soincorporated by reference, the usage in the incorporated reference(s)should be considered supplementary to that of this document; forirreconcilable inconsistencies, the usage in this document controls.

In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patentdocuments, to include one or more than one, independent of any otherinstances or usages of “at least one” or “one or more.” In thisdocument, the term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive or, such that“A or B” includes “A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B,” unlessotherwise indicated. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and“in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respectiveterms “comprising” and “wherein.” Also, in the following claims, theterms “including” and “comprising” are open-ended; that is, a system,device, article, or process that includes elements in addition to thoselisted after such a term in a claim are still deemed to fall within thescope of that claim. Moreover, in the following claims, the terms“first,” “second,” and “third,” and so forth are used merely as labels,and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R.§1.72(b), requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to quicklyascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted withthe understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit thescope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing DetailedDescription, it can be seen that various features are grouped togetherin a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure.This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting anintention that the claimed embodiments require more features than areexpressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claimsreflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of asingle disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are herebyincorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing onits own as a separate embodiment.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving, via a firstportable electronic device; contextual information and a geolocationrelating to a first user in a network-based system; receiving, via asecond portable electronic device, contextual information and ageolocation relating to a second user in the network-based system;identifying a common element in the received contextual informationrelating to the first user, and the received contextual informationrelating to the second user, wherein the common element is notpre-identified and is identified upon a comparison of the first andsecond contextual information; in response to an identification of thecommon element, defining a boundary for a geofence based on thegeolocation of the first or second users, and redefining the boundary ofthe geofence to exclude at least one member from a population of thegeofence, the exclusion based on an identified change in geolocation orcontextual information relating to the at least one excluded member. 2.The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring an aspect of thecommon element included in the received first or second contextualinformation and adjusting the boundary of the geofence based on a changein the aspect.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoringthe geolocation of the first or second user and adjusting the boundaryof the geofence based on a change in the geolocation.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising identifying a population size of membersconnected to the network-based system to be included within the definedgeofence, the population size based on an identification of the commonelement in received contextual information relating to at least onemember of the population and the received contextual informationrelating to the first or second user.
 5. The method of claim 4, whereinthe first and second users are included in the population.
 6. The methodof claim 4, wherein the boundary of the geofence is defined based on ageolocation of the at least one member.
 7. The method of claim 4,further comprising monitoring the contextual information relating to thefirst or second user or the at least one member, and redefining theboundary of the geofence based on a change in the contextual informationor a desired population size to be included with the geofence.
 8. Themethod of claim 4, further comprising redefining the boundary of thegeofence based on an identified change in the geolocation or thecontextual information relating to at least one member of thepopulation, or to the first or second user.
 9. The method of claim 4,further comprising redefining the boundary of the geofence to include atleast one new member in the population, the inclusion based on ageolocation of the at least one new member, or an identification of acommon element in received contextual information relating to the atleast one new member and the contextual information relating to at leastone other member of the population.
 10. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising monitoring the contextual information or geolocation relatingto the first or second user, and dynamically redefining the boundariesof the geofence based on movement of the first or second user within ageographic region of the networked-based system, or an identified changein the contextual information relating to the first or second user. 11.The method of claim 1, further comprising defining a boundary for thegeofence based on a predetermined distance between the respectivegeolocations of the first and second user.
 12. A system comprising atleast one module, executing on one or more computer processors, toperform operations comprising, at least: receiving, via a first portableelectronic device, contextual information and a geolocation relating toa first user in a network-based system; receiving, via second portableelectronic device, contextual information and a geolocation relating toa second user in the network-based system; identifying a common elementin the received contextual information relating to the first user, andthe received contextual information relating to the second user, whereinthe common element is not pre-identified and is identified upon acomparison of the first and second contextual information; in responseto an identification of the common element, defining a boundary for ageofence based on the geolocation of the first or second users, andredefining the boundary of the geofence to exclude at least one memberfrom a population of the geofence, the exclusion based on an identifiedchange in geolocation or contextual information relating to the at leastone excluded member.
 13. A non-transitory machine readable medium,including instructions, which when performed by a machine, causes themachine to perform operations including, at least: receiving, via afirst portable electronic device, contextual information and ageolocation relating to a first user in a network-based system;receiving, via second portable electronic device, contextual informationand a geolocation relating to a second user in the network-based system;identifying a common element in the received contextual informationrelating to the first user, and the received contextual informationrelating to the second user, wherein the common element is notpre-identified and is identified upon a comparison of the first andsecond contextual information; in response to an identification of thecommon element, defining a boundary for a geofence based on thegeolocation of the first or second users, and redefining the boundary ofthe geofence to exclude at least one member from a population of thegeofence, the exclusion based on an identified change in geolocation orcontextual information relating to the at least one excluded member.